Do you get to hear heartbeat at 16 week midwife apt?

[madeinthe80z]

My midwife has just said we can do this apt over the phone but I thought you got to hear the heartbeat in this apt usually - is this correct? I may ask for face to face if so as it would be nice to have the reassurance.

No, because mine was over the phone! In previous pregnancies yes, but I've read that it's no longer recommended at 16 weeks because it can be hard even for a midwife to pick up the heartbeat at that stage.

It is now at midwife's discretion and I believe different trusts have different policies. I did at my 16 week appointments with both pregnancies 4 years ago and a couple of weeks ago.
They did however warn me that it is not always possible for them to find it so not to worry if they couldn't find it. I believe this causes women a lot of anxiety and stress if not found so many trusts do not like to offer it. I'm surprised they don't want to see you face to face though to do your BP, urine dip etc? When did you last have that done?

It doesn't have to be done, but I imagine if you had a face to face appt and asked them to try then they would. But I'm not sure they would arrange a face to face appt purely to try and listen for the heart beat when it isn't clinically indicated. If you're very worried you could get a reassurance scan.

@Nursemumma92 to be fair, I only had my 12 wk scan today and my booking in apt at 11.5 weeks last week so have had it all done fairly recently, and results were all fine. I actually have a consultant apt at 16 weeks so I think they do a BP check then too, maybe pee, I cant remember from last time.

So when would my next midwife appointment be after the 16 week one? I think it's different if it's not your first, which this isn't for me but I'm not sure I've been told!

Our trust doesn't do the heartbeat until at least 20 weeks, I think it depends on where you live.

There's a schedule of appointments on p. 7 of the green pregnancy notes. Obviously different if you're seeing a consultant, but I'm glad to be left alone for a bit between 16 and 28 weeks.

@steelcicada I don't have green notes this time, everything is on an app and it doesn't say. I'll have a bit of a Google as I'm sure it's standard but I will go ahead with the phone apt. I guess I can always request an apt for reassurance if I need it in future but hopefully I will be okay.

Thanks all 🙂

Yes, she asked if I wanted to listen to the heartbeat at the 16 week appointment. Also got to with my previous pregnancies.

To be honest, I think it’s ridiculous doing the appointment over the phone. They cannot check urine or BP. I would be asking for an in person appointment regardless.

I got to hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time at my 16 week appointment, but I'm pregnant through IVF and am having a lot more monitoring etc than my friend did when she had her baby with the same trust. My midwife also checked my blood pressure and urine.

We use the app here too, but I was also given a small cardboard folder with the schedule of appointments to expect.

I didnt listen to baby's heartbeat at any of my midwife appointments at any point in my pregnancy. It's not trust policy apparently and only my booking appointment was over the phone. All the others were in person. They did listen to heartbeat at my scans though.

I am in the north west and they told me they don't offer it routinely until 25 weeks because it can be very stressful if they can't locate it which can be common as baby is small. However I was very anxious and got upset in my 16 week appointment speaking about being constantly worried about baby and she kindly offered for me to listen in.

It’s different everywhere, but lots of trusts have a policy of not doing the heartbeat at 16 weeks now.
At my trust it’s now a 14 week appointment (just wee, BP checks etc) then no midwife until 28 weeks. Which doesn’t seem very much.

In 2017 I heard it at 16 weeks. In 2021 I didn't hear it until 24 weeks. Same trust, and the same community midwife. I was told that the trust had stopped doing it at 16 weeks because if the midwife couldn't find the heartbeat (which is common this early) they can no longer refer so it means women would have to wait another 4 weeks for a scan.
Regarding appointments if it's your second I believe it's 28 weeks however my midwife booked me for 24 weeks anyway.

Yes

No I haven't had it listened to at the 16 or 24 week appointments.

Mine wasn't until 24 week midwife appointment, they dony do heartbeat until after20week scan

Thanks everyone, interesting to hear different experiences. I do remember getting to hear it at my 16 wk appointment back in 2019 but a lot has changed in my trust since then too